“Where are you, bitch?You can’t hide.She’s on remand, and it’s your fault.”
Maia’s stomach sank.“Do you think he’s related to Amanda?”
“That’d be my guess,” Henry said evenly.
Neither he nor Gerard took their eyes off the man.
“Stop hiding!”the man shouted.“Bitch, you’ve ruined my dreams.”
Maia was tired of this.She darted around Henry.“Here,” she snapped.
The man fired his weapon.
“No!”Henry shouted and dived, pushing Maia and covering her with his larger body.
“Oomph,” Maia grunted on hitting the ground.Henry jerked, still acting as her shield, and Maia panicked when liquid soaked into her clothes.
“Henry.Henry!”
He moved, grunting as he lifted off her.
“You’re bleeding.”She glanced frantically for Gerard, but he was helping the security men contain the assailant.The man struggled violently, and it took three to overpower him.
“That bitch had it in for Amanda.She was jealous of my daughter,” the man howled.
“Doesn’t mean you can shoot her,” Gerard snapped.
“Henry.”Maia ignored the shouts, petrified that he’d hurt Henry.He meant everything to her.She tore at his shirt, attempting to locate an injury.“Where are you hurt?”
“Paint gun,” Henry said.“Winded.Let me breathe.”
She paused.“You’re not shot?”
“No.”
Maia sagged against him, holding him tightly until she could breathe again without terror taking her out at the knees.“My life flashed before my eyes,” she whispered, still clutching Henry.“It was a life without you, and I hated what I saw.Henry, will you please marry me?Life is short.Unpredictable.I don’t want anyone else.I want you.So please marry me and put me out of my misery.”
“You don’t mind that we’re different?”he murmured, his large body tensing again when the man continued hollering.“That I’m older?”
“I adore your wolfish ways, and age is just a number.Like you said, we’re equals.A partnership, and that’s perfect for me.For us.”She honestly didn’t care that everyone she lived with, apart from London, could morph into an animal.They were a devoted family, and they embraced her, accepting her into their group with affection, laughter, and care because Henry loved her.“I love everything about you, Henry, and have instinctively trusted you since I was twelve.Please marry me.”
“Yes.”And he drew her into his arms and kissed the stuffing out of her.
Gradually, she noticed cheers and catcalls from her fellow players and the Auckland team they’d played.
Henry pulled back, his expression impassive, but his brown eyes glowed, and he didn’t fully release her.
Jill grinned at Maia.“Now that the police have Paint Gun Man in custody, could we get on with the prize-giving?”
“Of course,” Maia said in a nonchalant air.But she glanced at the security men who had the interloper contained.
“ThatisAmanda’s father,” Henry said.“Gerard and I investigated him.In his youth, he was a talented rugby player, but a severe injury in a vehicle accident meant he couldn’t play professionally.From what we can gather, he passed his talent on to Amanda and insisted she fulfill his dreams.She snapped under pressure, and it appears that the stress of her arrest was too much for her father.”
“That’s sad,” Maia said, watching her team as they lined up to receive their medals.“My aunt was forceful in her opinions and tried to coerce me into following her instructions.I know what it feels like, but why didn’t Amanda speak to her mother or an outsider if she hated playing rugby so much?”
“They’re waiting for you,” Henry said, giving her a tiny shunt.“But to answer your question, I think she bought into her father’s dream.Maybe she thought he’d love her more if she did as he asked.”
“Makes sense,” Maia said, pecking him on the cheek before jogging away to join her team.
